Abstract: A controls stage, a hopper stage, and a pneumatic stage are arranged to govern the movement of particulate additives from a hopper through a receptacle that communicates with a delivery tube with the particles exiting the delivery tube via an outlet and contacting products or commodities such as food products. Embodiments include those wherein the use of air flow through the delivery tube is responsible for ushering particulate additives out of the delivery tube, with or without a secondary air flow to facilitate movement of particulate additives into the delivery tube, and a notched disc controlling the opening and closing of a valve to allow or restrict particulates from passing, wherein the size and quantity of notches affects the frequency at which particulate additives move from the hopper into the delivery tube.

Abstract: A contactor is positioned coaxially with and substantially within at least one separator, and otherwise is configured to receive aerosolized target particles of interest as a sample. The use of a plurality of separators that are coaxial with each other and the contactor increases the number of separations involving target particles and other constituents of air at a sampling point, whereby in some embodiments the separators are rotatably configurable relative to each other and to the contactor.

Abstract: A controls stage, a hopper stage, and a pneumatic stage are arranged to govern the movement of particulate additives from a hopper through a receptacle that communicates with a delivery tube with the particles exiting the delivery tube via an outlet and contacting products or commodities such as food products. Embodiments include those wherein the use of air flow through the delivery tube is responsible for ushering particulate additives out of the delivery tube, with or without a secondary air flow to facilitate movement of particulate additives into the delivery tube, and a notched disc controlling the opening and closing of a valve to allow or restrict particulates from passing, wherein the size and quantity of notches affects the frequency at which particulate additives move from the hopper into the delivery tube.

Abstract: A contactor is positioned coaxially with and substantially within at least one separator, and otherwise is configured to receive aerosolized target particles of interest as a sample. The use of a plurality of separators that are coaxial with each other and the contactor increases the number of separations involving target particles and other constituents of air at a sampling point, whereby in some embodiments the separators are rotatably configurable relative to each other and to the contactor.

Abstract: In a material sample separation and collection system, a sample is obtained by airflow separation. The system and attendant methods collect a complete sample over a defined period of time by modulating one or more pressure balancing valves, thus allowing for a variable flow rate of materials through the system even while the fan or other source of airflow operates at constant speed. The sampling rate, which is based on how quickly or slowly materials enter and pass through the system and into a collection vessel, is automatically modulated in real time based on sensor data.

Abstract: A contactor is positioned coaxially with and substantially within at least one separator, and otherwise is configured to receive aerosolized target particles of interest as a sample. The use of a plurality of separators that are coaxial with each other and the contactor increases the number of separations involving target particles and other constituents of air at a sampling point, whereby in some embodiments the separators are rotatably configurable relative to each other and to the contactor.

Abstract: A contactor is positioned coaxially with and substantially within at least one separator, and otherwise is configured to receive aerosolized target particles of interest as a sample. The use of a plurality of separators that are coaxial with each other and the contactor increases the number of separations involving target particles and other constituents of air at a sampling point, whereby in some embodiments the separators are rotatably configurable relative to each other and to the contactor.